Tours Beyond

Nashville

Nashville, the capital of Tennessee is nicknamed “Music City”, and is also known as the "home of country music". Since the 1960s, Nashville has been the second-largest music production center (after New York) in the United States. The downtown area features a diverse assortment of entertainment, dining, cultural and architectural attractions. It is here you’ll find The Ryman Auditorium, the “Mother Church of Country Music”, a venue that has hosted many diverse artists over the years. Nashville is also the home of The Grand Ole Opry, a weekly country-music show founded on November 28, 1925. Today it is the longest-running radio broadcast in US history. 

Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum

Did you know that Biloxi, Mississippi was once hailed as “The Seafood Capital of the World”? This little-known fact along with more than 300 years of history, heritage and culture are housed inside The Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum. It’s a state-of-the-art museum that takes you back to a special time along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It is home to two authentic replicas of Biloxi Oyster Schooners. The “White Winged Queens” served as workhorses of the seafood industry more than 100 years ago. 

Shrimping Boat Tour

The pride and heritage of Biloxi comes alive aboard this unique and interesting cruise. The Biloxi Shrimping Trip introduces guests to the spectacular world of sea life caught on a real shrimping expedition. “How many legs does a shrimp have?” Learn everything you ever wanted to know about catching, cooking, and eating this delicious southern delicacy, Mississippi Gulf Coast Style. 

Biloxi Visitors Center Lighthouse Park

The Biloxi Visitors Center opened in July 2011 in the shadow of the Biloxi Lighthouse. It fuses the city’s architectural heritage with state-of-the-art technology and multi-media exhibits, providing visitors with a feel for the Biloxi of yesterday and today. Step out onto the second-floor porch and you’ll be at eye level with the beacon of the Biloxi Lighthouse, enjoying the cool breezes off the Gulf of Mexico, while soaking up the panoramic view of the Biloxi beach and Mississippi Sound.

Pascagoula River Audubon Center

The Pascagoula River Audubon Center is the educational gateway to exploring nature and bayou habitats. With more than 35,000 acres of land along the Pascagoula River preserved for the public, the Nature Conservancy has protected a unique ecosystem that keeps the largest free-flowing river in the lower 48 States one of the wildest. Wildlife abounds in the Pascagoula River- including some species that are found nowhere else on the planet.

Gator Ranch and Swamp Tour

The Gulf Coast Gator Ranch is a place to take a walk on the wild side! Walkways through the swampland provide opportunities to see alligators “up close and personal.” With the airboat tour of the swamp, travel through this special habitat and witness a variety of wildlife. Who knew that the words “beautiful”, “pristine”, and “finest” could apply to swampland?

St. Rose de Lima Catholic Church

The St. Rose de Lima Catholic Church was founded in 1857, when the Rev. Claude Paschal Maistre of Troyes, France, became the parish priest. At that time, Father Maistre ministered to a racially diverse parish that included whites and free people of colour. Despite the pro-Confederate stance of the local church leaders, Maistre preached the emancipation of slaves and true equal rights for all. Today the church is home to one of the best Southern Gospel Choirs in the country and its altar features an extraordinary mural of an African Christ figure rising before a live oak tree.

Mardi Gras Museum tour

The Bay St. Louis Mardi Gras Museum is located on the first floor of the historic Bay St. Louis Train Depot (L & N Railroad Depot), built in 1928. The Museum features over a dozen elaborate Mardi Gras costumes designed by Carter Church. Each year, there’s a new theme for the annual Mardi Gras Ball, and it takes Carter a full year to design and create the wardrobe, many of which are sewn by hand.

FUN FACTS: There is so much glue used to make the costumes, it is purchased in 5-gallon containers. The ostrich feathers are from Africa.

New Orleans

The “Big Easy, is Situated on the Mississippi River, near the Gulf of Mexico. It's known for its round-the-clock nightlife, vibrant live-music scene, and spicy cuisine reflecting its history as a melting pot of French, African and American cultures. Embodying its festive spirit is Mardi Gras, the late-winter carnival famed for raucous costumed parades and street parties.

The Court of Two Sisters

More than just a restaurant, The Court of Two Sisters is legendary! Enjoy luscious Creole and Cajun cuisine, pass through the Charm Gates, make a wish in the Wishing Well, and hear the story of Emma and Bertha, the two sisters who ran a Notions shop here in the French Quarter. Legend has it that the true name of the wishing well in the courtyard is the Devil’s Wishing Well, based on the supposition that since Marie Laveau practiced her voodoo rites in the torchlit confines of the city’s largest courtyard.  While the legends are fun, these days, visitors enjoy the famous jazz brunch.

The French Quarter

It seems nothing can dampen the spirits where the good times roll, the jazz is cool and the food is hot. Get in on the action in the world-famous Vieux Carré, better known as The French Quarter, the historic heart of the city. Known for its Dixieland Sounds and Bourbon Street banter, it is also the oldest neighbourhood in the city. It’s here, in late February, that the infamous winter carnival, Mardi Gras, is held.

Graceland

You've heard the music, now see the place Elvis called home. Explore the beautiful mansion, walk the gardens where he found peace, tour the museum with the aircraft that he traveled on from show to show, and encounter Elvis Presley's Memphis entertainment complex for an unforgettable experience featuring legendary costumes, artifacts, and personal mementos from Elvis and his family.

Memphis – Beale Street

Around the time of the Civil War, Beale Street became a thriving area for black commerce and culture. A park on the corner became a gathering center for blue’s musicians, and Beale Street’s heyday during the roaring 20’s saw gentlemen wearing boxback suits and Stetson hats with thriving nightclubs, restaurants, shops and theatres.  From the 1920’s to 1940’s artists such as Muddy Waters, Louis Armstrong and B.B. King developed the legendary Memphis Blues sound. A special treat is in store, with a dinner visit to B.B. King’s Blue’s Club!

The Gateway Arch 

The Arch was built as a monument to the Westward expansion and known as the “Gateway to the West”. This internationally famous symbol of St. Louis opened to the public on June 10, 1967. Both the width and height of the arch are 630 feet (192 m) making it is the world's tallest arch, the tallest man-made monument in the Western Hemisphere and Missouri's tallest accessible building. It’s hollow to accommodate a unique tram system that takes visitors to an observation deck at the top. It has been declared to be "a symbolic bridge between East and West, past and future, engineering and art that embodies the boundless optimism of a growing nation."

Experience the Warmth of the South

From Nashville to Biloxi to New Orleans and Memphis, you’ll be warmly welcomed with the flavours, culture and hospitality of the South.  From your “home base” for five nights in Biloxi, be treated to some fine Southern Hospitality and explore the charm of the area.

Music History!

With visits to Nashville, New Orleans, Graceland, and Memphis, see the places where music legends were born, where “the King of Rock ‘n Roll” lived, and where the blues found their roots. Experience the Grand Ole Opry, enjoy a jazz brunch, go down to the Jungle Room, walk Beale Street in Memphis, and have dinner in B.B. King’s Blues Club!

Graceland

Visit the private home of Elvis Presley and stay at The Guest House at Graceland, one of the top hotels in Memphis. Graceland is not just a mansion.  Yes, it was a private retreat, it was the place where Elvis enjoyed life and spent time with his family, but today it is “120 acres dedicated to the life and career of this American legend.” Indeed, the gardens, Elvis Presley’s Memphis Entertainment Complex, and museums with interactive exhibits speak to an incredibly interesting life! 

• Our unique Connections Program
• Private coach transportation
• 11 nights of accommodation
• 11 breakfasts, 3 lunches,  5 dinners
• Local professional guides and all entry fees to included highlights
• Services of a Tours in Canada Tour Director

Prices are in Canadian dollars, are per person, and all applicable taxes.

INCLUDED HIGHLIGHTS:

• Guided tour of Nashville
• Guided tour of Ryman Auditorium 
• The Grand Ole Opry back-stage tour and Show
• Shrimping Expedition
• Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum
• Guided tour of Biloxi, Lighthouse Park & Visitors Centre
• St. Rose de Lima Church
• Mardi Gras Museum
• L&N Historic Train Station
• Pascagoula River Audubon Centre
• Gulf Coast Gator Ranch & Swamp Tour
• Guided tour of New Orleans
• Jazz Brunch at The Court of Two Sisters
• New Orleans French Quarter
• Graceland VIP Experience
• Tour of Memphis
• Sun Studio Guided Tour
• B.B. King's Blues Club
• St. Louis Gateway Arch

Day 1:  Travel to Lima, OH

Start your journey south, travelling through Ontario, Michigan and into Ohio for an overnight stay. Enjoy an included dinner and get to know your fellow travellers.

Stay: Hampton Inn, Lima OH (1 night)

Meals: D

Day 2: Lima, OH to Nashville, TN

Travel to Nashville, Tennessee, through the Great Smokie Mountains and admire the amazing scenery. Arrive at the home of country music by mid-afternoon and get an introduction to the Grand Ole Opry with a Backstage tour. Arrive at the opulent Gaylord Opryland Hotel in time to freshen up before enjoying a free evening. With two nights at this centrally located hotel, you are close to all the honkytonk action, and the hotel has live entertainment every night!

Stay: Gaylord Opryland Hotel (2 nights)

Meals: B 

Day 3: Guided tour of Nashville, The Ryman Auditorium & The Grand Ole Opry

Enjoy a guided tour of Nashville, with the tour ending at the Ryman Auditorium, a red brick building that has launched country music careers for over 130 years. You’ll have a free afternoon for lunch and sightseeing. Suggestions for the afternoon include the Country Music Hall of Fame, Johnny Cash Museum, Patsy Cline Museum, and RCA Studio B. This evening, enjoy The Grand Ole Opry Live Radio Show.

Meals: B

Day 4: Nashville, TN to Biloxi, MS

Travel south to the Gulf Coast and Biloxi, Mississippi. Arrive at the hotel where you’ll settle in for the next four nights.

Stay: Double Tree by Hilton, Biloxi, MS. (4 nights)

Meals: B, D

Day 5: Shrimping Expedition, Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum, Tour of Biloxi

Let's go "shrimpin’"! Board the ship for a 70-minute ride, where you will learn how to set a trawl net and fish the Mississippi Sound for blue crabs, oysterfish, flounder, stingrays, squid, pufferfish, and shrimp! Back on land, enjoy the daily catch with a traditional shrimp boil. After lunch, visit the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum and discover 300 years of Mississippi’s gritty heritage on a guided tour through informative exhibits and replica displays. Then, enjoy a guided tour of Biloxi, including the Visitors Center, which contains artifacts from Hurricane Katrina and Lighthouse Park, with beautiful views of the Mississippi Sound.

Meals: B, L

Day 6: Bay St. Louis & Pascagoula

After breakfast, board the coach and meet our local guide, who will personally show us around the coastal city of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi and the St. Rose de Lima Church, the Mardi Gras Museum, and the L&N Train Station.  After lunch, travel to Moss Point to the Pascagoula River Audubon Centre for an introduction to the unique ecosystem in the bayou. Then, enjoy an unforgettable experience with a tour of the Gulf Coast Gator Ranch and an airboat swamp tour. During dinner, there’s sure to be some fun discussions of favourite features of the day!

Meals: B, D

Day 7:  New Orleans

Today’s adventure is in the "Big Easy", New Orleans.  A local guide will provide an overview of the city, followed by a jazz brunch at the award-winning Court of Two Sisters. After lunch, enjoy free time in the famous French Quarter before returning to the hotel in Biloxi.

Meals: B, L

Day 8:  Biloxi, MS to Memphis, TN

Travel from Mississippi to Tennessee, and on the way stop at the home of HGTV “My Home Town” for lunch. Arrive in Memphis late in the afternoon, and check into your hotel, a resort experience inspired by Elvis Presley. The Guest House at Graceland is just steps away from the music world’s important and beloved landmark, Graceland, and offers a perfect blend of style and Southern hospitality, 

Stay: Guest House at Graceland, Memphis, TN (2 nights)

Meals: B

Day 9:  Graceland & Memphis

Enjoy a full morning touring Graceland! With your VIP ticket gain full access to Elvis Presley’s Memphis Entertainment Complex which is home to 3 museums. Tour the mansion and see his cars, custom jets, lavish costumes and more. The afternoon will focus on the history of the “Home of the Blues” with a tour of Sun Studios and a tour of the city of Memphis. As a perfect conclusion for our stay in Memphis, for dinner, enjoy special seating overlooking the stage at B.B. King’s Blues Club!

Meals: B, D

Day 10:  Memphis, TN to St. Louis, MO

After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll follow the mighty Mississippi, heading northward to St Louis, the “Gateway to the West”. Take a one-of-a-kind ride to the top of the Gateway Arch for wonderful pictures of the Mississippi River.  We’ll arrive at the hotel and “Kick Back” and have some fun this evening.

Stay: Drury’s Plaza St. Louis Arch, St. Louis, MO (1 night) 

Meals: B, L

Day 11:  Kalamazoo, MI  

Board the motorcoach after breakfast and relax as we travel north to Kalamazoo, Michigan today. Tonight, gather with your fellow travellers and new friends for a farewell dinner.

Stay: The Fours Points by Sheraton, Kalamazoo, Michigan (1 night) 

Meals: B, D

Day 12:  Travel Home

Journey homeward with a border crossing at Sarnia. Bid ‘adieu’ to new friends as you savour your memories made in the South.

Meals: B

Hampton Inn, Lima OH (1 night)

https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/limohhx-hampton-lima/

The Gaylord Opryland Resort, Nashville, TN (2 nights)

The Gaylord Opryland Resort features 15 restaurants, 4 bars and multiple retail stores. To say that this resort has “amenities” is quite an understatement! There are 3 sparkling pools, an award-winning Relâche Spa & Fitness Center, and a beautiful 18-hole golf course. See other information about this spectacular hotel in the highlights!

Double Tree by Hilton, Biloxi, MS (4 nights)

The beachfront Double Tree by Hilton, Biloxi, is across the street from the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, close to the boardwalk and a ten-minute walk from the Biloxi Lighthouse. The comfortable rooms and amenities, convenient location, and lovely views make this hotel a great “home base” for adventures in Mississippi.

Guest House at Graceland, Memphis, TN (2 nights)

Just steps away from the iconic Graceland Mansion, museums, and entertainment complex, The Guest House at Graceland welcomes visitors from around the world with Southern hospitality and luxurious amenities. Designed with the “make-yourself-at-home” sentiment that Elvis showed his guests, and Priscilla Presley’s touch of grace and dash of rock ‘n roll, this world-class resort is the perfect place to stay while experiencing the magic of Memphis.

Drury Plaza St. Louis Arch, St. Louis, MO (1 night)

https://www.druryhotels.com/locations/st-louis-mo/drury-plaza-hotel-st-louis-at-the-arch

Four Points by Sheraton, Kalamazoo, MI (1 night)

https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/azofp-four-points-kalamazoo/

This 12-day tour follows pickup Route A, and includes our unique Connections Program.  The pickup locations are:

• Lindsay
• Peterborough
• Bowmanville
• Whitby
• Markham
• Brampton
• Milton
• Cambridge
• Woodstock
• London
• Sarnia

A sweater or light jacket and a portable umbrella are always a good idea. Don’t forget a sun hat, sunglasses and sun block and most important, your camera!

This itinerary includes several boat cruises. Although for most people medication is not required, there may be some who may want to bring along a remedy for motion sickness. You don’t want to let a little thing like that spoil these amazing experiences.

It is possible for guests from anywhere in the world to join this tour by flying into Toronto and use our Connections Program to get a pickup point. It's also possible to join this tour in Nashville and leave this tour from the major cities on the route, such as Memphis. Please contact us to discuss your airfare and pre-and post-tour accommodation options.